Has anyone here attained self realization?

I get what you're trying to say kishore,but as we live in this world I would imagine it to be very hard unless you got into a deep state of meditation.

Originally Posted by kishore

According to me he/she is one who has dissolved thier ego completely, does not feel profit or loss, does not feel insult or respect etc after reaching that state, looking for that type of person in this site.

Originally Posted by kishore

Can we chat together, i have few doubts on spirituality which i want to discuss with you.

Okay, so the context seems to be you have doubts and are seeking an enlightened one to remove those doubts, correct?

Honestly, even if there is such a one here I don't think it's going to do for you what you think. This is something you're going to have to work through for yourself, and it's going to take more work than just a chat. It's going to take dedication, discipline and a lot of work.

Pick a spiritual practice with a path to enlightenment that suits your beliefs and personality and dedicate yourself in earnest and without expectation. Do it for the sake of doing. Be it for the sake of being.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by kishore

Has anybody here truly attained self realization or enlightenment?

It has happened a few times...a long time ago now...the memory of it becomes more distant as days go by..

I was enlightened, then I became unenlightened...then I got enlightened again and now I am back in the unenlightened stage, awaiting enlightenment once more and hopefully next time, it's gonna stick and I will stay that way..

It's like I am Bi-Polar in the Spiritual sense.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Okay, so the context seems to be you have doubts and are seeking an enlightened one to remove those doubts, correct?

Honestly, even if there is such a one here I don't think it's going to do for you what you think. This is something you're going to have to work through for yourself, and it's going to take more work than just a chat. It's going to take dedication, discipline and a lot of work.

Pick a spiritual practice with a path to enlightenment that suits your beliefs and personality and dedicate yourself in earnest and without expectation. Do it for the sake of doing. Be it for the sake of being.

This is great advice.

Oh heck.. let's just do this.

There are three types of Samadhi...or "self realization"... Savikalpa Samadhi, Nirvikalpa Samadhi and Sahaja Samadhi.

With the first two and even with a full Non-Dual awareness, there is always the risk of regression back into the lower chakras due to unresolved Samskaras or habitual thought patterns and processes which are mostly subconscious in nature.

Samskaras are what the Hindus refer to when they speak of "ego".

It isn't the same thing as the Ego as seen from the Western psychoanalytic perspective as propounded by Freud, Jung and the ilk. In the Hindu understanding, "ego" relates to all of those subconscious or unconscious habitual patterns which have been conditioned (since birth) through our environment to become manifested into unrestrained emotional reactions which form our patterns of behavior which lead us away from the identification and unification with universal consciousness (Source energy).

Through the continued practice of Yoga...whatever form of Yoga (union) one chooses to practice, this can be resolved.

To bring the experience of Samadhi into conscious, living practice with total awareness so that the lived experience becomes second nature, is where Sahaja Samadhi comes in...and to remain steadfast and unwavered in the realization of Self takes a LOT of discipline, dedication, willpower and practice.

So, to answer your question, dear Kishore...have I attained Self-realization? YES! Have I attained Moksha? definitely NOT.

Have I read every book out there ever written on the subject? YES.
Have they helped me in any way? NO.

So, get back to me when you would like to discuss Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and not one of a million modern day "Gurus" who all want to give their ten cents on the issue.

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

So, to answer your question, dear Kishore...have I attained Self-realization? YES! Have I attained Moksha? definitely NOT.

This is where imprecise language and interpretation introduce confusion. I've seen self-realization used interchangeably with enlightenment, and as you pointed out that's definitely not the case. I would define self-realization as recognition of one's true nature and with conviction, and maybe that's more like an awakening? Again, language is not exactly precise in this context, at least not English.

Moksha, enlightenment, liberation from suffering is quite a step up. What I can say is it's my impression and even experience awakening/self-realization can put one on a path that does begin to provide liberation from lesser sufferings, and I'm thinking that is the time to not just continue with whatever practices led one to awakening/self-realization but redouble the efforts, and not just in practice. Put the practices into daily living and keep them in one's conscious awareness as often as possible.

I think it's kind of like mindfulness meditation. There's formal sitting and then there's informal practice like walking meditation. It can be superimposed over every aspect of daily living if one can maintain that level of awareness.

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by hallow

If one does not feel profit/reward or loss, insult or respect. Wouldn't you become numb to everything? Let's be honest. In some way one wasn't rewarded for what they do. They would be no reason to do it. If one didn't feel loss they're would be no drive to improve/grow. If you didn't feel loss. You wouldn't feel sadness if you don't know sadness how can you know happiness? I see it if you're completely free of ego as you put it. One would feel nothing and become lifeless.

Would we feel nothing and become lifeless? Or would we flow through life in a state of serenity? This is not a state of numbness, it is a state of peaceful acceptance.

Profit, loss, insult and respect have no intrinsic meaning. It is we who ascribe meaning to these things.

As it says in the Bhagavad Gita, we have the right to action but not to the fruits of our actions. We do things because they present themselves to be done, not because we seek the rewards of doing so. But people seem to do things hoping for a particular result, and it seems as if most people end up disappointed.

Peace

[Rainbowunicorn]

I don’t understand what it means.

[Miss Hepburn]

I'm not going to answer the question, nor ask for any definitions -
I applaud the op's positive thinking that an everyday person can actually realize 'Enlightenment'...
we all should be aware of this possibility!
(I never use that word, myself.)
But I thought it was interesting listening to 'Seth Speaks' online...early on, like before page 50 (I have the book)...
he doesn't allude to being enlightened, but said he died many many lives; many times,
(and, also, it's nothing to fear, of course),
before now living on his plane.

(I probably should get the quote exactly...)

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

This is where imprecise language and interpretation introduce confusion. I've seen self-realization used interchangeably with enlightenment, and as you pointed out that's definitely not the case. I would define self-realization as recognition of one's true nature and with conviction, and maybe that's more like an awakening? Again, language is not exactly precise in this context, at least not English.

Moksha, enlightenment, liberation from suffering is quite a step up. What I can say is it's my impression and even experience awakening/self-realization can put one on a path that does begin to provide liberation from lesser sufferings, and I'm thinking that is the time to not just continue with whatever practices led one to awakening/self-realization but redouble the efforts, and not just in practice. Put the practices into daily living and keep them in one's conscious awareness as often as possible.

I think it's kind of like mindfulness meditation. There's formal sitting and then there's informal practice like walking meditation. It can be superimposed over every aspect of daily living if one can maintain that level of awareness.

Precisely.

How I see it, is that Self-realization, Enlightenment, Nirvana, Awakening etc are all the same thing... interchangeable terms for that profound experience, deep conviction and total awareness of one's own Divine nature and the interconnectivity of all things with the accompanying feelings of bliss, unconditional love, joy, inner silence and peace etc, but if their car gets stolen, if their house gets broken into, if their partner leaves or dies, if they lose their job etc, all of those former accomplishments will be totally forgotten...for how long they are forgotten is anybody's guess...it may be seconds, it may be years or lifetimes.

Becoming a Jivanmukta or a Bodhisattva is a whole different ballgame. Equanimity in the face of disaster is the hallmark...having the experience of Enlightenment/Self-realization/Nirvana dominate their lives and awareness to the total exclusion of absolutely everything else...even one's own mortality is what that is all about ..yes, it is like a "living death" albeit an extremely blissful and peaceful one, which leaves many people to say "I will wait until I am actually on my deathbed to experience that" however, if one hasn't prepared for death, it just ain't gonna happen on their deathbed, because there is a fourth type of Samadhi...Mahasamadhi, which takes place years before the physical body actually dies and life just consists of the opportunity to serve others only, just waiting for the day when God doesn't want them to do that anymore.

[muffin]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

Precisely.

How I see it, is that Self-realization, Enlightenment, Nirvana, Awakening etc are all the same thing... interchangeable terms for that profound experience

Good afternoon Shivani Dev

Hope your keeping well

Another one to add to your interchangeable terms, A slap up the side of the head

And Shivani Devi, You can't lose what you already have